Thursday, December 4, 2008

After our Off the Shelf guest post by Deborah on Shrimp Fra Diavolo, R could not be appeased with anything less than a shrimp dish of his very own. While we fully plan on trying Deborah's recipe, we have two other pasta dishes on deck for the week, and didn't want to add a third. Instead, we (okay, I, since I hardly ever extend R the courtesy of asking his opinion!) decided on this luscious little number from Alfred Portale's Simple Pleasures. Don't let the title of the book fool you, although the recipes aren't difficult, some of them require quite a list of ingredients. But really, it comes together quickly.

The Chef/Owner of Gotham Bar and Grill here in Manhattan, Portale is considered one of the premier practitioners of New American Cuisine (you know, all that focus on seasonal, fresh ingredients, and fusion twists on Old World recipes). Portale is also known for his flare for presentation, having been a jewelry designer in a former life. He has several books, and although Simple Pleasures is the only one I've cooked from, his Twelve Seasons is also definitely on my radar. When flipping through this book and turning down pages on one mouth-watering recipe after another, I decided it might be easier to turn down pages on recipes I don't want to try (there aren't many). This salad was a huge success and definitely sated R's craving. It looks far more complicated and time-consuming than it is. The shrimp can be marinated for up to 6 hours, so this may be a good weekend dish if you want to get started in the morning and finish up for lunch. Enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp Salad with Mango, Avocado, and Lime Vinaigrette

For the Marinade:

Whisk together:

1/4 cup oil (grapeseed or olive)

3 garlic cloves, passed through a press

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Zest of 1 medium-sized orange

1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper.

Set 1 tablespoon of the marinade aside and toss the shrimp with the remainder. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.

For the Vinaigrette

Whisk together the reserved tablespoon of marinade along with:

Juice of 1 large lime

Zest of 1 large lime

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of cayenne

1/4 cup oil (grapeseed or olive)

Season with salt and white pepper

For the Salad

Toss together:

1 small read onion, sliced

1 mango, diced

1 avocado, diced

4 cups lettuce

Dress with some of the vinaigrette, setting aside the rest to pass with the finished dish.

For the Shrimp

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and sear in the pan for about 1 minute on each side.

To serve

Mound the salad in the center of a serving dish and arrange the shrimp around. Pass the extra vinaigrette with the salad.